


Awakening

by futureimperfect, Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)



Series: Circumstance [16]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Flirting, Original Femslash, Pre-Femslash, Shower Sex, Threesome - F/F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-17
Updated: 2010-03-17
Packaged: 2017-10-08 02:01:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect, https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Page's business trip to Europe takes a few unexpected turns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Continuity](https://archiveofourown.org/works/65124) by [futureimperfect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect), [Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo). 
  * Inspired by [Masterpiece](https://archiveofourown.org/works/58985) by [futureimperfect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect), [Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo). 
  * Inspired by [Flight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/66350) by [futureimperfect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect), [Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo). 



> A/N: All characters were created by and belong to the authors. Please do not use without permission.

Caterina rubbed her eyes, looking down at the surface of her desk. The words on the papers that littered it and on her screen were starting to blur and they weren't resolving themselves into anything intelligible. She sighed and looked up at Page. "I think we should call it a night. I don't think either of us is going to get anything out of continuing right now."

Page started, glancing up from the schematic in front of her. They had been working all day, and the project was both engrossing and potentially lucrative if she could get her client to buy Caterina's designs. Still, even she knew when to call it a night. The blonde sighed in response, giving it a last glance, "I suppose. I think we'll be able to work out the power source issue tomorrow morning, it's just a matter of numbers really."

"I think you're right," Caterina said, nodding, "but right now everything seems to be going in circles for me." Sadie had a final performance that night, and then she was going to a cast party, so Caterina was anticipating a quite night. "Can I interest you in dinner?" She never liked cooking for one, but neither did she feel like going out.

"I wouldn't want to impose," her tone wasn't argumentative, however. Page had enjoyed working with Caterina so far. The woman was both obviously well adept at her work, and had an easy assured manner that many people Page worked with lacked. It didn't hurt that she was strikingly beautiful as well, though Page had tried her best not to let it distract her.

"It's hardly an imposition. Please." Caterina was already closing folders and shutting down her computer. Caterina couldn't help but be attracted to Page, though it wasn't exactly something she had talked to Sadie about. Still, inviting her to dinner was hardly something she worried about.

Page snapped her laptop shut and reached to at least pretend to put the papers that she had strewn around into piles on the worktable. She smiled at Caterina, not able to hide her appreciation for the invite, "Thank you then, there's not much back at my hotel."

"If nothing else, I think I can offer you a hot meal." Caterina put her laptop into her bag and turned off the lights in her office, locking the door behind her as they walked out. "My car is just in the garage."

As they walked to the garage, Page realized she knew little about Caterina. They had met and both immediately dove headlong into the project at hand, which was exactly how Page liked to work. However, now out of the lab she was at a bit of a loss. "Thank you, that sounds great. Do you live far?" There were lots of things she had been wondering about the tall blonde, but didn't want to inundate her just yet.

"Not too far. 20 minutes at this time of night." It was just past rush hour and the traffic would be starting to thin out. Caterina unlocked her car and slid in. "Have you gotten a chance to see much of the city?"

"No not really." Page had been too focused on the work, and hadn't made any plans for sightseeing. "How long have you been here?"

"So long that I feels like I've never lived anywhere else." Caterina turned down a side street. "You really should try to see some of the city before you leave."

"You haven't been here forever..." Page paused, considering before speaking in an inquisitive tone, though she was pretty sure she was right, "Wiltshire?" She had been listening to Caterina all day, and thought she had narrowed the accent down to a few choices.

Caterina smiled as she responded. "In the summers. You have a good ear." She turned into her driveway, waiting for the gate to roll back before she drove in and parked the car.

Page blushed a little at seeing the other woman's face light up ever so slightly. "Thank you. It's a habit of mine...or perhaps a vice." The blonde looked around, quite impressed and held back her next comment about 'business being good.'

"Well, we can't eat out here." Caterina smiled at Page as she got out of the car, grabbed her laptop bag, and headed inside.

Page followed after, only then realizing how hungry she actually was. The place was impressive to say the least, but for some reason she wasn't surprised to find that Caterina lived some place like it. Once inside she started to take off her coat, still looking around and wondering how much time the blonde managed to actually spend there.

Caterina took Page's coat and hung it next to her own, leaving her bag at the bottom of the steps. "The kitchen is just this way." She headed through the house and to the kitchen where she started pulling things from the fridge and throwing it into a pan. "I'm really glad you agreed to come to Paris to help us with this project. Oh, make yourself at home." She motioned to some barstools and as the food cooked, she poured them glasses of wine from an already open bottle.

Page slipped onto one of the offered seats and took her wine, sipping it slowly. "Oh, thank you for the opportunity. I really do think the system has good potential applications." She set the glass down, "If Airbus doesn't pick it up, they'd be crazy, it's more efficient than anything they have so far. Sorry...I promise not to talk about work all night, I tend to do that." Whatever Caterina was cooking was starting to smell good, and Page's stomach grumbled. "Can I help with anything?"

"Mmm. I'm almost done, but if you want to grab some plates..." Caterina flipped the contents of the pan, checking it to see if it was done yet. She nodded toward a cabinet, knowing that Page would have to pass close by to get to it.

Page nodded and walked to get the plates. On the way she couldn't help slowing for a split-second to feel Caterina's warmth. It was involuntary, and the other blonde's light perfume lingered in her senses as she pulled down two plates, going to set them on the kitchen table. She shook herself, trying not to let her thoughts wander, almost definitely sure Caterina couldn't possibly be interested in anything. She was too...well...perfect and Page didn't consider herself nearly in that league, the taller woman probably had some charming boyfriend due home from London, or Tokyo, or something. She sighed, hoping Caterina couldn't hear it, "Silverware?"

"In here." Caterina pulled open the drawer next to her, but she didn't pull anything out of it, too focused on pulling the pan off of the stovetop and sliding it's contents onto a larger plate. She smiled at Page as the blonde reached into the drawer, enjoying how close it had brought her. She hadn't missed the soft sigh, though she wasn't exactly sure what motivated it.

She nearly had to close her eyes while she pulled out the forks and knives; Caterina was painfully close and Page was fast realizing just how interested she, or at least her body, had become in the stunning blonde next to her. *Page, stop it, stop it now, you're doing it again* She mentally reprimanded herself, turning away stoically to put the place settings together.

Caterina grabbed the plate of hot stir-fry and her glass of wine and set them both on the table. "I think we're ready." She could have picked a seat further away from Page, but she didn't see any reason to deny herself. She and Sadie was hardly monogamous, even if she didn't often seek out other company, and there was every possibility that she wouldn't be back that night.

Page served herself and took a few bites, trying to ignore her obvious attraction. Something about Caterina was making her feel off balance, almost like a teenager again. In the lab she had been fine, that was where she was most comfortable, but here was different, and she wasn't completely prepared. Being with Stephen was different, they were such good friends and she never had to guess what he was thinking. Caterina she couldn't read when they weren't discussing circuits and screen resolutions, and Page felt awkward. She went for something simple, "Do you ever manage to get away for vacation? I always wonder about people I work with sometimes who consider 'time off' to be a Saturday at home."

"I have a house out in the country and I try to get out there at least once a month." Caterina chuckled. "As for an actual vacation..." She shook her and tried to think. "It's been a while. I think I went to Vienna to see my brother play about two and half years ago. He's a concert pianist. What about you? Do you have a favorite beach to lay on?" She could almost picture Page in a bathing suit and it wasn't an unpleasant image.

Page smiled a little and took a sip of her wine. "Well not close to home. Most of our beaches are cold and generally rocky. When I need time off I generally head inland, get up in the mountains and get a little perspective. The views are stunning from 5000ft in the Cascades." She didn't get there nearly as much anymore as she'd like to, but when she did the quiet and placid beauty of the area always seemed to settle her. The blonde's mind was wandering back to good memories wen she caught herself staring a little too long at Caterina's vibrant green eyes. She smiled and looked back at her plate.

Caterina smiled at Page's obviously pleasant memories, not minding the way Page was staring at her. "You should try to get to Switzerland while you're on the Continent. It seems like you would like it there." Her food was steadily disappearing, and as it did, her fatigue was starting to fade away.

She smiled, "I'd like that. It's always been on my list of places I never seem to have time to make it to." Page sat back, the wine and food slowly settling her, and she twisted the stem of the glass between her fingers. In the momentary silence that followed her comment, her mind automatically went back to the issues of the day, and she couldn't help herself, "What do you think about the durability of the screens if we make them touch-sensitive?" The blonde cringed a little at how obsessive she must seem, but the day hadn't entirely been left behind and it was what she was comfortable with.

Caterina started clearing the table while she considered the problem for a moment. "You know, if we..." Caterina shook her head and smiled. "No. I'm done talking about work for today." She refilled Page's wine glass. "And so are you. Why don't we relocated to the living room and find something else to talk about." It would be easy for her to get sucked into the logistics of touchscreens and processors, but then they would end up spending the night in her office and not her bedroom.

Impressed by the other woman's sense of mental discipline, Page smiled quietly. She could tell the blonde had let her mind start to work on the problem before deciding to save it for later. It was a skill Page admired. She took her newly re-filled glass and followed Caterina into the living room. The space was both comfortable, and had a sense of grandeur about it, with high ceilings and well-appointed furnishings. She sat quietly and looked at the other blonde, an eyebrow arching almost humorously, "So, what do you suggest we talk about then?"

"Well, if you want to talk about touch screens..." Caterina didn't sit, but instead walked over to one of the walls and tapped it with her fingertips. The artwork disappeared, replaced with giant screen. The current weather was off to one side, as was a video feed from the outside security cameras, but otherwise, it was mostly blank.

Page hadn't been expecting to see anything like that in Caterina's seemingly traditional, if already impressive, home. The rest of the place had been largely devoid of technology, and she just sat with her mouth hanging slightly open before she could react. Then the blonde stood and stepped over next to Caterina, crossing her arms and glancing at the wall, already calculating how the impressive piece had been installed, and just what might going on behind the walls to keep it running smoothly. She took a long moment, instantly more impressed by it than any more literal art that the other woman might have hanging around the place. "Wow....that's amazing." Page was still too surprised to be eloquent, "I don't think I've ever seen something like this in a private home."

"Well, there are perks to owning a company that makes these things, though it's a bit of an indulgence," Caterina couldn't help but blush, knowing that Page would know exactly how much of an indulgence it was. "Generally, my brother just likes to play video games on it, but you can do almost anything you want with it." She grinned at Page. "And it's a good place to test out the programs we write. If something goes wrong on here, it's pretty easy to spot."

Page did know just about how much of an indulgence, but it was one she wouldn't hesitate to make if she had the means. "I'm sure." She cut the taller blonde a sideways smile, almost conspiratorially, "It's for a good business purpose anyway." She took another sip of her wine and shook her head, "you keep surprising me. I like that." Page generally found herself several jumps ahead of most people, and it could get tiresome.

Caterina chuckled. "I hope they're pleasant surprises." She put the screen back to sleep, the artwork reappearing, as she turned to Page. Page could play with the toys later.

"Yes, quite..." Page's eyes were still on the wall reappearing, and she only registered Caterina's proximity after a few moments, then feeling her skin prickle pleasantly with ancicipation as she felt the other woman's breath on her shoulder.

"Good." Caterina didn't see a benefit in waiting any longer. She reached up and turned Page's face toward hers as she leaned in to kiss her.

It wasn't like Page hadn't been hoping for the act all evening, but still she found herself caught off guard by her body's reaction. She leaned into the kiss, then stepped back, placing her glass on a side table. As she did so she found her hands were shaking slightly.

The blonde looked back at Caterina, seemingly considering for a moment, then stepped close and pulled the other woman down into another kiss, longer and deeper than the first. Page didn't want to consider the outcome for once, and closed her eyes as she slipped an arm around the taller woman's waist.

Caterina smiled into the kiss, glad that Page had decided to go with it. She had only been slightly nervous when the other woman had leaned away from her, and she was happy that her instincts were proving to be correct. She pulled Page closer, leaning down into the kiss. She was breathing heavily when it finally ended. "Isn't this more interesting than the durability of touchscreens?"

Page's eyes flashed brighter blue as she looked up at Caterina, grinning slightly as she regained balance, "Well...." Instead of finish the answer, she kissed her again, fingers quietly working around the hem of the other woman's shirt.

"Mmm." Caterina was utterly content standing in the middle of her living room kissing Page with Page's hands under her shirt. She started unbuttoning Page's shirt, the backs of her fingers skimming against the skin between Page's breasts.

Caterina's breath got caught in her throat when their skin finally touched. She was as lost as Page, her head spinning at just how good the other woman felt. "We should," Caterina licked her lips, "we should take this conversation upstairs, I think."

Page nodded, and pressed her lips to Caterina's collarbone before letting herself be led to the other woman's bedroom. She felt almost out of control, drunk more with the unexpected situation as much as the wine, and decided to try not to think too much. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, and something about the other woman's self-assuredness led her to believe nothing in their relationship would be broken by their actions that night. With that settled in her mind, and the bedroom door closed, Page turned to face Caterina again, a steady blush growing in her skin.

Caterina noticed the blush, and it made the side of her mouth quirk up. "Is everything alright?" She slid her arms around Page and pulled her close once again.

Page relaxed into the touch, returning it, "Yes. Isn't it?" She was smiling, but wanted confirmation of what she was assuming.

"Mmhmm." Caterina leaned down and kissed Page, her hands already going to Page's bra and unhooking it.

She let the other woman continue, reaching for the fastening of Caterina's belt, tugging it loose. She vaguely felt herself pushed across the room, and moaned quietly when she felt the backs of her legs press against the edge of the bed. Caterina crawled on top of Page, sucking one of her nipples into her mouth, licking it and rolling it between her lips.

"God..." Page arched up into the sure touch, and tried unsucessfully from her new position to get Caterina's pants the rest of the way off, finding it difficult to reach, pinned as well as she was by the other blonde. After a few moments she gave up and unhooked her bra instead, immediately feeling Caterina's nipples harden as she brushed her fingers over them.

Caterina moaned and pressed down into Page's hand. She was quite intent on Page's nipples, but she pulled away for a moment to toss her bra to one side. She stood up and quickly pulled her pants off. "Is that what you wanted?" She smirked as she climbed back on top of Page.

Page watched intently as Caterina's long legs were revealed, and pulled her back down on top of her, tangling her fingers in the other blonde's hair, letting some of the curls fall around her face. She spoke through heated kisses, "Yes...exactly..."

Caterina wanted to laugh at Page's obvious enthusiasm, but she was far too occupied with kissing her. She did, however, frown when she rubbed her legs against Page's and found that she still had her pants on. She reached down and unfastened them, fumbling slightly as Page continued to be incredibly distracting.

Page allowed the last of her clothes to be pulled off, wriggling out of her pants, and pulling Caterina up into another kiss, gasping quietly when the length of their bodies touched unimpeded. She was already almost painfully ready, and wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out before outright begging.

Caterina didn't waste any time pulling off Page's panties and after quickly running her hands down Page's torso, she parted her lips and pushed her fingers into her. "God." Page was even wetter than she expected her to be.

First Page whimpered, then moaned at the sudden, firm touch. She closed her eyes and shifted, allowing Caterina better access as her fingers tightened on the other woman's shoulders. Caterina kept pushing her fingers into Page, setting up a steady rhythm. After a fierce kiss, she slid down the other woman's body and started licking her clit, sucking on it lightly as she stroked it with her tongue.

It didn't take long at all before Page was squirming, wringing her fingers in the sheets, unable to control herself any longer. She called out as her body shook, and she came hard but slowly against Caterina. Caterina held onto Page's thighs through the end of her orgasm, then crawled back up her body to throughly kiss her. "Doing alright?" She settled on her side next to Page, lounging there while the other woman recovered.

Page was still breathing quickly, letting herself slowly calm down. She turned to the other woman, smiling. "Yes...very." She started casually running her fingers over Caterina's smooth skin, enjoying the light sheen of sweat that she was now covered in.

"Good." Caterina shifted under Page's fingers, smiling at the other woman.

She started to work with more purpose, pulling the other blonde closer. Page could see desire still in her eyes, but she suddenly felt at a loss, nervous in the face of someone both so beautiful and so adept. She had only been with a handful of women, and while exhilarating, the same thrill of newness made her unsure. Page slid her fingers thoughtfully down Caterina's side, considering, and feeling her pulse start to work higher again.

Caterina leaned forward and kissed Page, then pulled the other woman on top of her as she laid down. She was enjoying anticipating Page's touch, but her patience was getting shorter and shorter.

"Mmmmnn...." Page's eyes grew a little wider as she felt herself pitched forward. She could sense Caterina's growing need and her body started to respond, hands working with more purpose over the other woman's perfect skin. "You're so...mmmmm" Page really meant to finish the sentence, but couldn't find a strong enough adjective and instead occupied her mouth with kissing down the blonde's lanky form.

"Ohh..." Caterina twined her fingers into Page's hair as she spread her legs. "Page..."

Page paused, glancing up and holding Caterina's gaze for a long moment. She had slipped between the other woman's legs, and was breathing harder, breath, lips just inches from her center. Seeing the other blonde so ready, Page finally let go of all competing thoughts and dipped her head between Caterina's thighs.

The brief pause was enough to make Caterina groan in frustration. That groan quickly turned into a moan as she felt Page's tongue against her skin. She was already almost painfully close. Page moaned quietly response, and moved to press two fingers into Caterina while she licked her. Her head was swimming with the sensation of the blonde under her tongue, and she licked harder, enjoying the moment fully.

Caterina squirmed, and grabbed at the sheets. She arched up, trying to extend the moment, to put off her orgasm for just a bit longer, but it was useless. Her muscles started contracting and her toes curled. Page took her time, pushing Caterina as fully as she thought she could. It was only when the other woman finally quieted and lay still that she moved back over her, kissing her way over the blonde's flushed skin. She settled, lips meeting the soft flesh just under her ear, breathing against it. "God.... you're beautiful...." she whispered gently.

"Mmmm." Caterina wrapped her arms around Page and held her close, reveling in they way their skin felt as she pressed closer. "You feel... fantastic." Caterina leisurely kissed Page now that she was calm enough to take her time.

Page was for once fully relaxed, satisfied, and letting her mind drift. "Mmmmnn.... you do too." She closed her eyes, content to just feel Caterina's chest rise and fall under her with her slowing breath.

Caterina pulled the covers up over them and turned the lights out. She wrapped her arms back around Page and settled into the bed. "Mmhmm. Good night."

Page barely murmured in reply as she settled, "Goodnight."

*****

Sadie closed the front door carefully, knowing it would echo upstairs if she didn't. She petted Finn as he came up to her, blinking as if he had been asleep. "Go back to bed, boy," she whispered. It was late...way too late to be coming home, but she had been all set with an American girl on the run crew before the girl got trashed beyond belief and passed out. It wasn't a huge deal. Sadie knew Caterina hadn't been expecting her back, so she wasn't surprised when she got upstairs to find someone else in the blonde's bed. She simply undressed and curled up at the end of it, too tired to really consider who might be there and why they hadn't gone to the club.

Page stirred as the first rays of morning light drifted through the sheer curtains. She was curled next to Caterina, the other woman's long arm draped around her. Page smiled, deciding to enjoy the previous night's memories rather than start worrying about any aftermath. She stretched, and was surprised to find a weight on the covers at her feet. When she glanced down, she didn't at all comprehend what she saw.

Grunting at the unexpected thud against her side, Sadie shifted. She wanted to simply go back to sleep, but there was hardly any room at the foot of the bed the way they had all ended up that night. She blinked a couple of times before sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Oh..." Her mouth formed the word soundlessly as she saw the owl eyed women blinking at her. She was pretty from what Sadie could tell through the general haze of waking.

Page still hadn't gotten herself together enough to make an intelligent response, and she was suddenly very conscious that she was naked under the sheets. It was just donning on her that the young woman was as well, and she pulled the blankets up, "ummm....who are you?" The question sounded so ridiculous, but Page didn't know what else to ask.

Caterina made a disgruntled sound as the movement and the noise woke her up. Generally, Sadie was much quieter about getting up if she woke before Caterina, though that rarely happened. Caterina was opening her eyes, fully prepared to reprimand her, when she realized that the voice she had heard wasn't Sadie's. It was only then that the previous night came back to her. Something told her it was going to be a long morning. She covered her eyes with one hand. "Sadie, this is Page. We're working together on a project. Page, this is Sadie, my house girl."

Page turned to Caterina, her face an expression somewhere between curiosity and abject confusion. "You... your what?"

"My... house girl." Caterina motioned to Sadie, then rubbed her forehead. "Sadie lives with me."

Sadie blinked and looked between the two women. She tried very hard to remain impassive, to be completely composed, but her half awake state prevented her from suppressing a wide grin. "Oh, wow...she has no idea. That's..." She had the grace to swallow her laugh. "Nice to meet you."

As she was starting to get the picture, Page turned red...though she didn't really understand the image that was coming together for her. "So you....she...?" The blonde really didn't have any words for the situation, not ever having woken up with someone's housegirl sleeping at her feet. If there was some kind of protocol, no one had ever clued her in. In default, she just answered, "Ummm...you too..."

"Well..." Sadie shifted and slid off of the bed, completely unashamed of her nakedness. If Caterina had expected her to return, that night might not have happened at all, Sadie guessed. And that would have been a shame because there was something absolutely riveting about Page. "I need a shower. I'll let you two...yeah." She grinned and winked as she turned on her heel and headed towards the bathroom.

Caterina only vaguely watched as Sadie walked to the bathroom. "I'm sorry. If I had thought that she would be coming home, I would have told you about her." She didn't really know Page that well, or how she would have reacted to it, but it was only the decent thing to do.

"I'm not sure I really understand... but I suppose it's none of my business really." Though Page was definitely enamored of the other woman, she wasn't invested enough to feel betrayal. She smiled and shook her head quietly, "is this something .... European... I'm just not aware of?" She couldn't help a small chuckle of bemusement.

"Not European, per say. I imagine Sadie's very French father would have a stroke if he knew about this." Caterina smiled at Page and turned toward her, running a hand over her hip. "Sadie and I are obviously involved, but we're not monogamous. She lives here and does what I tell her to do." She shrugged. "And the simplicity of that explanation is about the only thing about it that's simple."

Page shivered a little under the touch and drew her knees up to her chin, clasping her hands around them without really paying attention. She glanced over at Caterina more seriously, now her mind simply trying to understand. It wasn't like she didn't get the concept, it was the reality that was still throwing her. Still, she wasn't one to judge. "I see...I think. So....it's exactly what it sounds like then."

"Yes." Caterina nodded. "It is exactly what it sounds like." Caterina sat up, pulling the sheet with her. "Are you alright?"

The blonde shifted her gaze down slightly, considering, before slowly uncoiling herself and shifting closer to Caterina. "Yes...I think so." She was smiling quietly now, fingers slipping under the sheets toward the other blonde.

Caterina looked down at Page, letting her take the initiative. She knew that Sadie's sudden appearance had thrown Page and she wasn't going to press. "Good." She could still hear the shower running and she wondered if Sadie could possibly get any cleaner.

Page let a small smile flicker over her features again, and clasped the other woman's hand in her own, bringing it to her lips as she spoke almost playfully, "So, if she does what you tell her to do, what do you generally ask for?"

Caterina chuckled. "Well, I have all sorts of whims. If you weren't here right now, I'd get in the shower with her and tell her to wash my hair and bathe me. I suspect that she's a bit hung over, so I probably wouldn't be particularly charitable about it, either."

Page shifted, closing the distance between her and Caterina. "Well, I hate to keep you from that." She kissed the blonde's shoulder and smiled against her skin.

"Mmm." Caterina leaned down and kissed Page. "I have a very big shower, if your interested, and Sadie seems to be taking the longest shower known to man."

Page blushed and smiled, cutting her eyes toward the door where Sadie had disappeared through and then back to Caterina. "I might not be opposed."

"Then we should go join her." Caterina slid out of bed and held a hand out to Page. "If you're not opposed."

When Sadie heard the bathroom door open, she grinned to herself before turning towards it. Without hesitation, she opened the shower door for the two women and knelt to the side, letting the water run over her as she waited.

Page went willingly, letting Caterina lead her into the shower. She was still surprised to see Sadie so nonchalantly waiting. She was starting to understand the arrangement, and the idea was so foreign to her, but yet surprisingly intriguing. The blonde paused and looked at Caterina, not entirely sure what to do.

Caterina ducked under the water, then motioned for Sadie to stand. She wrapped an arm around her and kissed her. "I think Page might need someone to wash her back."

"Of course." Sadie smiled to Page, but she kept her gaze lowered respectfully. Stepping aside, she let the blonde step into the water in full, and Sadie lathered a soft sponge. She touched Page's hip gently before she began.

Page's skin tingled in anticipation in spite of herself. She looked to Caterina, but the other woman seemed so relaxed, like there was nothing out of the ordinary in the moment. When the younger woman started gently but attentively washing her, she couldn't help a small moan and reached out to pull the other blonde closer.

Caterina happily stepped into Page's arms, kissing her as Sadie ran the sponge over her back. "Sadie's very good at that, isn't she?" She started kissing Page's neck, carefully avoiding any soap.

Sadie continued, enjoying watching the two of them together. She was aroused by the very dynamic, by how enthralled Page seemed to be by it all while still seeming to maintain some sense of participating merely to be a better observer. She didn't quite understand it, but she wouldn't turn down a shower with a beautiful woman.

"Oh.... yes." Page was nearly overwhelmed with the contact surrounding her, and was fast losing the ability to think enough to speak.

Caterina smirked and started touching Page's nipples. "She's good at a lot of things." Caterina nodded to Sadie, silently ordering her to prove her point.

With a delighted smile on her face, Sadie leaned forward, kissing Page's shoulder where she had just rinsed. She wrapped her arm around Page's hips before slipping her fingers between her legs, teasing her soft curls gently before touching her clit.

Page gasped at the contact, throwing her head back. The other women were surrounding her, and her senses were quickly pushed into overload.

Caterina held onto Page, supporting her as Sadie touched her. She loved to watch Sadie touch someone else, seeing how well trained she was, how obedient. She nipped on Page's ear. "Do you want her to make you come?"

Page was breathing harder, thinking the assumption was becoming obvious. She glanced at Caterina, not used to being asked questions like that, "Oh....God...."

Sadie continued touching Page's clit intently before pressing a finger into her. She looked up at Caterina, waiting for full permission before continuing. She pressed herself into Page's back, trying to show the woman that she was just as aroused, enjoying herself just as much.

"Tell her." Caterina kept kissing her neck. "Tell her to make you come and she will."

"God....please..." Page was moving against them, closing her eyes and moaning, trying almost desperately to gain more contact.

Sadie smiled against Page's shoulder as she pressed another finger inside and curled them both easily. She was so unaccustomed to having someone beg her. Caterina was content to watch, neither giving Sadie permission nor denying it. She wanted to see what they would do, if Page would give the order or keep begging, if Sadie would hold out, or give in. Either way, she was going to enjoy the experience.

Page hooked her hand behind Caterina's neck and pulled her in to kiss her, inhibitions quickly disappearing in the moment. She couldn't hold out much longer, no matter what Sadie did. "Please....please make me come...oh....." She pressed back against the young woman, giving her better access.

The words could not have come sooner, for Sadie wanted nothing more than to see Page, to hear her as she reached her climax. She pressed more firmly into the blonde, keeping her thumb moving in tight circles around her clit until she felt her shudder.

Page moaned deeply as she came, finally pitching forward into Caterina, glad the other woman was waiting to catch her. The moment was so intense, it took her a few long moments before she could breath normally again. Caterina smiled against Page's temple, holding her there while she recovered. "That was beautiful." She looked at Sadie proudly, and transfered Page's weight to her. "Get out with her and get her dried off. I'll be right there."

Sadie did as she was told, easily maneuvering the small woman out of the shower. She took the utmost care in drying Page, patting her skin softly, almost reverently her own skin cooling dry as she waited for Caterina to join them. Page was sanguine, happy to let Sadie do as she was told. The blonde was beyond trying to make sense of it and simply enjoyed the afterglow of the moment.

After quickly washing her hair and cleaning up, Caterina stepped out of the shower. She smiled as Sadie handed her a towel, content to let her keep Page in her arms for now. "Now that we're all clean. I think it might be time for breakfast."

[ ](http://www.statcounter.com/iweb/)


	2. Airborne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brett gets some unexpected help on her flight to London.

Brett settled further into her seat, wrapping a blanket tighter around her legs. There wasn't anyone sitting next to her yet, and she was hoping that it would stay that way. There was nothing worse than sitting next to an entitled businessman who would spend the entire flight trying to flirt with her. Really, she just wanted to get back to London and back to painting. Her fingers were starting to itch.

...4...5....7...Page checked again…yes 7C. She glanced at the woman in the seat next to her, nodding quietly. She put her things away and took her seat, looking around and taking in the new configuration of the plane. Immediately she decided the airline had most definitely made a mistake in going with the 12" screens instead of 13," the seats were big enough and it just seemed like a waste, especially after she had tried to convince them the resolution would be seamless. She buckled her seatbelt and relaxed for the flight back to London, knowing it was only the first of two more before she'd finally land over Puget Sound. However, she had a few nights in London to adjust.

Brett smiled slightly at the other woman. If she had to have a seatmate, at least this woman looked nice enough. If nothing else, she would be interesting to sketch. For now, she flipped through an art magazine, waiting for the plane to push back and start taxiing.

Page tried to relax as the plane took off and gained altitude. She pulled out her laptop and started to do a few things that needed closing out before she finally got back to the states in a few days. After a few minutes she took a break to accept a drink from the flight attendant, then turned casually to Brett, "Going home?"

"Mmm?" Brett hadn't really been paying attention, staring out of the window at the lights of the city as is disappeared below them. "Oh, yes." She turned fully toward her companion. "Is London your last stop or are you headed someplace else?"

"I'll be in London for the rest of the week, then on home to Seattle. Well...I say Seattle, but really just east of there...you have to take the bridge...and..." Page stopped herself and smiled, rolling her eyes slightly, "Sorry, you probably don't really care." She tried to cover, "So...how is London this time of year?"

Brett chuckled. "Rainy. But then it's always raining in London." She pulled out her backpack, trying to keep all of the pencils and pastels inside it as she opened it to slide the magazine into it. "I suspect that you're used to that though, if you're from Seattle."

Page was ready for that one, "I'll let you in on a secret," She lowered her voice in mock-seriousness, "It doesn't really rain all the time there, we just say that to keep the Californians at home." The blond smiled, "The state motto is actually, 'we like our state so keep out' if you ask the real locals." Before turning back to her drink, she held out her hand, "Sorry... Page Anderson."

Brett took Page's hand. "Brett Carlisle-Smithe. And that's a very clever plan."

"Why thank you, we've been working on it for years." She was considering the various options for her foot-rest when something on Brett's television monitor caught her attention. She shifted her focus from hers to the one next to it, comparing, eyes narrowing as she considered. "Something's...not right..." She mused aloud.

Brett followed Page's eyes to the screens, looking from one to the other, trying to figure out what she was talking about. "There is?" she asked skeptically. "I can't..." she shook her head. "Well, I'm not really watching it."

"Clifford's purple." Page made the statement like it was the most obvious thing in the world to say.

"So he is." Brett rubbed her eyes, as if that would fix the picture on the screen. "I guess I'll have to tell the flight attendant before we leave." She shrugged it off. The GPS feature on the screen was just about the only thing that she used them for.

Page wasn't really listening to Brett anymore. Her mind instead was tracing the circuitry hidden behind the panel, already leaning in, "Like any 4 year old will tell you, Clifford is a big red dog, and yours...is definitely shifted too far to the blue spectrum." She reached over without further warning and ran her hands along the edge of the plastic, fingers adeptly finding the hidden release catch and prying it open. The plastic cover snapped open and fell onto Brett's lap, "Sorry about that...one second." Page had already started to fiddle with a few wires and a sliding switch.

"What...?" Brett didn't really care about the plastic on her lap, distracted as she was by gawking at Page. "Did you just...?" Brett started down at the wiring, as if she had a chance of understand just what Page was doing through osmosis.

"Damn....they have the secondary lockout on..do you have a pen?" Page was still tweaking a few of the wires and glancing from one screen to the other, comparing.

"Um... yeah." Brett pulled a pen out of her bag and handed it over. Watching Page try to fix whatever was wrong with the screen was giving her a good excuse to look at Page and Page was definitely worth looking at. "So, is this a hobby of yours, or do you get paid to do things like this?"

Page used the pen to pry up a small knob on the side of the screen, and turned it counterclockwise a turn. Mindlessly holding the pen between her teeth, she returned her fingers to the wires and slider, her quick blue eyes brightening as the picture changed slowly to match the others. "Ha...theeere we go...Clifford looks much better now."

Only when she was satisfied did she remember to answer and that the pen in her mouth wasn't hers. She blushed a little and spit it out before talking. "Oh...I made these. Or rather, the plan behind them." She snapped the cover on and gave Brett her pen back, "That's to say, I integrate these technologies into the plane's existing capabilities, get them approved, try and get an STC for anything new...Sorry....to answer your question, I'm paid to do it. And it drives me crazy to see it not working properly." The blond let out a breath, "And sorry for that too....I'll let you get back to your flight. It probably didn't add to your trip to have a crazy engineer nearly climb into your lap on account of a purple animated dog." She was blushing slightly now, realizing she had 'done it once again.'

"I, uh, didn't mind. That was pretty impressive, actually." Brett could understand obsessing over something being perfect, and Page wasn't going to ruin her flight by getting a little closer.

"Um...well, any time." Page gave her a sideways smile before turning back to her computer. Brett was attractive, that as much was obvious, but Page wasn't about to make an ass of herself by annoying her all the way to London.

"Yeah, next time I'm on a plane and my screen starts going out, I'll give you a call." Brett chuckled. She let Page go back to her computer and pulled out her sketchbook. There was always something interesting for her to draw, and this time, she focused on Page's hands on her keyboard, hoping that Page wouldn't notice her staring.

After several moments, Page put the last touches on the spreadsheet she had been working on, snapping the computer shut and relaxing back into the seat. The blond looked over by chance and noticed the paper in front of Brett, interest perking up, "what are you drawing?" She didn't stop to wonder if she was being nosy.

Brett instinctively tilted her sketchpad away from Page's sight, but she relented after only a second. "Um... you." She blushed as she let Page see. "I, uh, hope you don't mind." She ducked her head slightly and pushed a curl of her hair back behind one ear, giving Page her most charming smile.

Page looked at her curiously, reconsidering the woman sitting next to her. She blushed slightly, "do you mind if I ask why?" Page didn't think anyone had ever done such a thing to her before, and she was totally unprepared.

Brett shrugged. "I'm an artist... and it passes the time." Brett smiled at the way Page was blushing, thinking that it was incredibly endearing. "Plus, you can never practice too much. I, um, probably won't use it for anything, if that's what you're worried about. And I just...," her own blush got worse, "You have really nice hands. I noticed when you were working on the screen."

Page blushed deeper, and self-consciously ran her fingers over the edge of her computer screen, suddenly not knowing what to do. "I...thanks I guess." Something about Brett was making her feel more awkward than she generally did. She motioned to the flight attendant to re-fill her drink.

Brett got her own drink refilled when the flight attendant appeared, glad of the slight break and the fact that her blush was finally starting to fade. "It's sort of a bad habit... drawing people without asking first. Normally I'm far enough away that they don't notice."

Well, I don't mind you being closer I suppose." *God....did I just say that?* Page mentally cringed at her words. She resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands.

Brett couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Normally she was the one coming up with cheesy lines and laughing about them. "Well, then I guess I'll just be over here. With my sketchbook." She held it up slightly as she angled herself toward Page, and now that she had permission, openly stared, looking for what she wanted to draw next.

Page fidgeted, trying to work without glancing over at Brett every other 47 seconds. It wasn't working and she decided to give up. "If you're going to do that, why don't you tell me more about yourself while you do."

"Okay. Is there anything specific you want to know, or should I start writing a memoir out loud?" She was staring at Page's hands again, having become fascinated with them.

Page shifted, then just decided to focus on finishing her drink. "Well, you said you're going home. Has it always been home?"

"Basically." Brett quickly erased a line and started drawing Page's hand with the glass in it, liking the lines better than the last position she was drawing them in before. "I live in New York for a bit when I was young, my mother's an American, but my father and I moved back to London after they divorced." She looked up at Page through her eyelashes, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.

Page still was finding it strange to be an object of interest in this way, but now that she was being allowed to ask questions she was getting back on solid ground. "How young were you when they divorced? Do you go to the US often? Sorry...too much?" She had a way of asking things that weren't quite...appropriate sometimes.

Brett shook her head. "It's fine. I was five when they separated." She pulled out a second pencil. "And I travel a lot, so I make it to all sorts of places. I can work almost anywhere, so..." She shrugged. She valued her freedom above anything else and she was glad that she had a more than competent staff to run her gallery when she was away.

"So how much time a year are you away from London?" Page eyed the second pencil, 'I always think I love to travel, but then after a few days I can't wait to get home."

"You know, I've never really added it up." Brett chuckled and started adding color to the sketch. "I have a gallery in London, so I like to make sure it hasn't burned down occasionally, and it's always nice to come home, but I sort of travel by whim. I'm always looking for something interesting to go see. I take it you have computers to get back home to?"

Page smiled, her eyes lighting up. "Yes, plenty of that, and projects always in the works. But more importantly, I have a four year old who is always excited when I get back. Her father adores her and she loves being with him too, but getting to come home to her is the only reward I need for running around the world talking to clients." Page sighed slightly.

Brett smiled at Page's obvious love for her daughter. Her sketch was finished, but she immediately flipped the page and started drawing Page's eyes, wanting to catch that look before it disappeared. "Kids are good for that. Divorced?"

Page paused at Brett's abrupt question, then realized fair was fair. "Yes, a year or so ago. We're still friends." She fidgeted again, trying to filter her next comments, though Brett's easy manner was making her let her guard down...or maybe it was the drink that was doing that, either way, she pushed on. "He was my best friend in college, and it just....made sense to be together. Until... until I couldn't convince myself any more to play along. In the end I think he could see it coming." She watched to see if Brett was following her, "Still though, he's a great father."

Brett nodded, not having any problem following Page, and finally put her sketchbook down. The last drawing was incredibly rough, but she thought it captured Page perfectly and she didn't want to mess it up by trying too hard. "My parents have a better relationship now than they did when they were married, or so everyone tells me. Did you want to see?" Brett motioned to the sketchbook.

Page eyed the paper warily as if it might suddenly turn into a fish. She wasn't generally fond of how she looked in pictures, and didn't see how this could be much different. Still, the question was like asking if someone wants to know what's behind the 3rd door in a game show, and she just nodded, "Sure."

Brett flipped back to the drawing of Page's hand and held out the sketchbook. "It isn't going to bite you. And if you really don't like it, I'll rip it up."

Page leaned over to look at it, and couldn't help a smile. The sketch was beautiful, even as rough as it was. Somehow it didn't look like she thought she did, but it was flattering. "It's...you're really good." She leaned back and paused, Page didn't generally take time to just...consider art, thinking of other things generally in that manner. "Really good, though I don't have much experience I suppose. In all honesty, my last work of art was making a map of the constellations of the northern hemisphere on my dorm room ceiling with glow-in-the-dark stickers." Page made a slight face, rolling her eyes when she heard herself, "If you could call it that with all the measurements I put into the thing to make it accurate. But in my defense, it was Seattle and you couldn't see the sky that often." The blond fell silent, glancing over at Brett apologetically for her rant.

Brett flipped the page to the drawing of Page's eyes, pretty much ignoring the compliment. It was something that she heard often enough that she almost didn't process it anymore. Instead, she focused on the rest of what Page had said. "That's actually really cool. That you put so much effort into it. I actually know a sculptor that spent an extra year in university where he could understand the molecular structure of marble, so..." She smiled and shrugged. "You never know." Brett was a firm believer in the democracy of art.

Page couldn't help herself, mind already starting to ponder the molecular structure of marble for no apparent reason other than she never had before. After a while she nearly was able to pay less attention to Brett, who was still sketching happily.

The flight passed smoothly for a while and she was relaxing when the chime went off and the captain come on the intercom instructing the flight attendants to take their seats in case of turbulence. Page didn't take much notice, having been on plenty of flights in the past year alone. However, as the plane started to shake ...rather harder than she was used to...the blond found herself involuntarily reaching her hand over to the woman next to her.

Brett looked up when she felt Page touch her hand, and couldn't help but sympathize with her apparent nervousness. She took Page's hand and squeezed it, smiling at the other woman. "Not used to turbulence?"

After a few moments, the rumbling subsided and Page withdrew her hand, looking down, "God...sorry ..no..no not really...and it's not like I don't know the tolerances of this thing are well above the forces encountered in average turbulence...and it's just convection or wind shear..." her voice was quick, but steady, and she was blushing furiously. "Sorry...I'm fine...and no, I'm not usually in the habit of grabbing strangers on flights...I just...sorry."

"I didn't understand half of that, but, uh, I didn't mind." She brushed her hair back and started putting her things away. They weren't too far from London, in fact she could already see the lights on the horizon. "And we'll be on the ground soon anyway."

"Yes...right.." Page set about re-packing her computer and other things as she felt start to make the decent into the airport. "Hey...anything I should see while I'm in town. I'll be here till the end of the week."

"Too many things for me to list in the next ten minutes. Why don't you let me buy you a drink and maybe we can narrow down the options." Brett smiled at Page, hoping that she would take her up on the offer, hoping that she might get more than a drink out of it.

Page paused, then let a smile cross her features, eyes a little brighter at the knowledge she hadn't sent the other woman running in the opposite direction. "I...I'd like that." Whatever the brunette's intentions were, Page rationalized she could at least use a bit of advice on the city. "And I promise not to grab you again..." She glanced over, voice getting a little playful, "...without warning anyway."

Brett's smile widened. "Do you have anywhere to be tonight?"

"The check-in desk at my hotel is patiently awaiting my arrival, and I'm headed for a call to home and a good night's sleep." Page was more than interested in seeing more of Brett, but she wasn't that impulsive. "But I'm sure I'd be up for a night out tomorrow if you're free."

Brett was only phased for a second. "Alright." Brett nodded and pulled out one of her cards. It had the phone number and address of her gallery on it and she quickly wrote her mobile number on the back. "Give me a call when you get finished and I'll show you a little of London."

"Will do, thank you." Page took it, tucking the card in a pocket of her computer bag just as the cabin around them began to rustle with people getting their things down from bins, and standing in the aisles. In a few moments, she had lost Brett in the crowd moving toward the baggage claim. It had been a bit of a strange flight...but a good one, she decided, and was smiling as she gave her taxi the name of her hotel.


	3. Allure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brett may have the date planned to the letter, but Page has other ides.

Page turned the card thoughtfully in her fingers. She had wandered about the city on her own for the better part of the day, enjoying the opportunity to explore without anything else pressing her. However, she was feeling rested, and was in the mood for a night out, especially if she could find a guide. Page picked up the phone in her room and dialed Brett's number. She had enjoyed the plane ride more than most, and the other woman seemed genuine in her offer.

Brett didn't recognize the number on her caller-id, but that wasn't exactly uncommon. Generally, she tried not to give her number to casual acquaintances, but there were still any number of people who might be calling her. "Hello?"

"Hello? Oh...is this Brett? It's Page...from the plane.." She put her hand over her face for a moment, wondering just when she had gotten nervous about this, "..yeah...sorry still about taking your TV apart...anyway, I was wondering if you had plans tonight?"

Brett chuckled. "Well, if I did, I don't now. I'm glad you called." Brett had been thinking about Page off and on for the past few days, hoping that she would call and kicking herself for not finding out which hotel the other woman was staying at.

Page could feel herself blushing and tried to calm down. "Well....I am too...I....oh anyway, have any suggestions for where to go? I mean, do you want to grab a drink?" She was near to just slamming her forehead down on the edge of the small hotel desk at how stupid she sounded.

Brett managed to stop herself from laughing out loud, but there was definitely a smile in her voice. "I would love to get a drink. Why don't I come by your hotel and we can go from there?" She wasn't normally so attracted to someone that she would describe as adorable, preferring to use the word for puppies and lemurs and other small animals, but there was just something compelling about Page.

"Oh...yes...sure, I'm at the Haymarket." She said a quick goodbye and hung up, only then realizing she had no idea what to wear, and surprised to find that that bothered her.

It was a quick walk from Brett's flat in Soho to the Haymarket and she was stepping into the lobby and looking around for Page a few minutes later.

Page was already waiting, and watched Brett walk in. The other woman looked even more casual and alluring than she had remembered and the blond stood a little too quickly to go and meet her.

Brett smiled when she saw Page. "Hello again." Brett stuffed her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, stopping herself from almost automatically reaching out for Page. "It's good to see you again. Really good."

Page grinned and glanced down for a second before answering, "You too...I....thanks for the offer. I've been enjoying the city so far." Page didn't know anyplace to suggest they go, and hoped the other woman had something in mind.

"It's an easy city to find at least one place that you love." Brett traveled on whims, but she always looked forward to coming home again, and though she had been born in New York, London had always been her home. "There's actually a really great pub not too far from here, if you don't mind walking?"

"No, not at all, walking's fine." She nodded and stepped off next to Brett. A few drinks sounded perfect, though she was already mentally giving herself a limit on the night. She had a history of getting a little too friendly after more than a few.

"Great." Brett headed down a side street until she got to the door of the pub, opening it for Page. "The best table is over in that corner." Brett pointed and took Page's arm, directing her toward the table and then sliding into the booth next to her.

Page looked around the room, the place exuded culture, but not in an overly done way. It was clearly the type of place that was known to few tourists still. "I like it, good choice." She smiled and leaned back, trying to relax, but her eyes kept drifting over to her companion. "Do you live far?" The comment was almost embarrassing in retrospect, and she hoped the other woman would take it at it's simple meaning.

Brett nodded as she flagged down a waiter. "Closer to your hotel than this bar, but still within walking distance." Brett loved her neighborhood.

Page smiled and decoded the reply quickly, waiting for Brett to order.

After the waiter disappeared, Brett turned back to Page. "So, how's your work been going?" Brett brushed the side of her foot against Page's.

Page tried to remain casual despite the touch, but didn't move away. "Oh, well. Actually I'm just on my way back from meeting with a new supplier. It's exciting, probably the most efficient system we've ever been able to offer. It uses excess energy from the lighting systems in a variable manner to augment the grid and...oh well....in short yes. Seems my trip was definitely worth it, even with the jet lag." She hoped she hadn't ranted too long, "What about you? Things here survive your absence?"

Brett smiled at Page as she rambled, getting caught up in the other woman's enthusiasm. She was so caught up that it took her a minute to realize that Page had asked her a question. "Oh, yeah. It's pretty self sustaining at this point." It had taken more work than most people realized to get it to that point, mainly because she played it off that way. Hard work didn't exactly fit into her persona.

Page nodded and gratefully took her drink when the waiter returned, taking a long sip before speaking. "So, anything I should see in the city that's not in the pamphlets at my hotel's concierge desk? I don't usually get the time to see things outside of Heathrow terminal five. Which, however, I will admit is lovely."

"Depends on what you're interested in but most of it's on the pamphlets." Brett chuckled. "I'm, um, not very good at being a tourist here. If you want a list of awesome clubs though..." Brett cocked her head to the side and thought about it for a minute, "Or galleries."

Neither was something Page had a great amount of experience with, but she found herself smiling, thinking more and more that she'd take about any tour if Brett was going to be her guide. "I can't say I'd know my way around either. I'll defer to your judgment."

"Well, we could stop by my gallery once we're done here. It isn't too far away." She sipped her beer. "Unless you think that's too egotistical?" Brett smirked.

"No, no not at all, I'd love that." Page didn't wait long enough in her reply to see Brett's expression. She picked her drink up again, "You keep it open late then?" It took her a moment to realize Brett probably had the keys.

"Um, there's a street fair sort of thing on the first Friday of the month when we normally stay open later, but no. I've, uh, got keys." Brett almost blushed. She had taken plenty of women back to her gallery late at night, but something told her that it wouldn't have quite the same effect on Page.

Page looked almost in surprise at the bottom of her glass which had suddenly appeared with her last sip. "Oh...I suppose you would." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, the drink softening her mood, keeping her from tripping over her words so easily, "I'm looking forward to the private tour then."

"Well then, so am I." Brett pulled out some cash to pay for the drinks. "Shall we?"

Page nodded, starting to let her mind go for the night. She was so used to talking about work with everyone she met, but Brett was refreshingly different. "How far is it?"

"A couple of blocks." Brett took Page's hand, hoping that she didn't think it was presumptuous. She turned them in the right direction and started walking toward her gallery, enjoying the nice night and the woman walking beside her.

Page felt her skin flush as their fingers touched, and she let Brett lead her down the street, her smile growing as they went.

It didn't take them long to reach the gallery and Brett had to let go of Page's hand to pull out her keys. She slid them into the door and unlocked it. "Just give me a second to turn off the alarm and turn on the lights." She didn't want Page tripping over any of the sculptures.

Page felt a bit of her earlier nerves returning as she waited, shifting from foot to foot. As the lights came up she looked over the impressive range of works on the walls and placed throughout the part of the gallery she could see so far. She was smiling by the time Brett walked back to her.

"Um, some of it's a little... post post-modern." Brett ran her fingers though the hair on the back of her head as she looked around. She tried to keep things interesting, but interesting for her wasn't always easily accepted by normal people. And some of the photos on one of the walls looked much more like pornography than art, even if they were a commentary on consumerism.

Page looked around, stepping slowly through the first room, she didn't usually get time to just consider new ideas unrelated to circuits and software. She stopped in front of a sculpture with curves and twists that made the eye follow without finding any endpoint, considering. "I like this." For some reason she found it calming.

"Mike's letting it go for a steal." Brett stepped up behind Page and only just resisted putting her hands on Page's hips. She didn't really think that Page would buy it, but she simply couldn't help herself.

Page smiled and glanced over her shoulder, breath catching slightly as she realized how close Brett was, "Well it's a little too large for my carry-on, but it is beautiful."

Brett finally did rest her hand on Page's hip. "Come on, some of my stuff is toward the back." She led Page into the last room and flicked the lights on. Most of the wall space was covered in giant 6 and 9 foot canvasses, all in primarily darker hues with occasional bright accents. The figures in them were recognizable a humans, but only if you squinted.

Page felt her skin prickle where Brett touched it. The woman made her feel a different thrill than Caterina had, it was simpler. She tried to keep calm, scanning the impressive images in front of her, "They're beautiful. Really." She was surprised to see a few of the same lines, style, as even the rough sketching Brett had done on the plane.

"Thanks," Brett smiled and ducked her head. She was used to people telling that, particularly when they were actually looking at her work, but she had a feeling that Page actually meant it. "As I'm pretty sure this is the only gallery that's open right now, do you want to skip that part of the tour and go to a club?" Even as she said it, she was feeling reluctant. She was enjoying the quiet and a club would only ruin that.

Page bit her lip and took a chance, turning her back on the marble in favor of the other woman, "I'm not sure I'm in the mood for crowds." Her eyes flicked down to her feet, then back to Brett's face, her expression growing from nervous to nearly mischievous.

Brett matched Page's mischievous expression with one of her own. She wrapped her arms around Page's waist. "Then we'll just have to find something else to do with ourselves." She was close enough to Page to kiss her, but she held off, prolonging the moment.

Page had less resolve than the other woman, and took an uncharacteristic leap, leaning in and kissing Brett. Her hands slowly worked their way up the brunette's back, and by the time she leaned back for air they were nearly in the other woman's hair. She glanced down again, definitely hoping she hadn't made a mistake.

A smile slowly spread across Brett's face and she leaned down for another kiss. Her hands were still on Page's hips, but only because she was slowly untucking her shirt. Once that was partially accomplished, she slid her hands under it and pressed them into Page's skin. Page felt better in her arms than anyone else had in a long time, but she didn't question it. They'd have a couple of fun nights together, then Page would be going back to Seattle and that would be that. Brett ran her hands up Page's back, pulling her closer as she kissed down her neck.

Page could feel herself quicken and she pressed against Brett, letting the other woman continue. She didn't know what was getting into her on this trip. The night with Caterina and the morning with Sadie still didn't feel real, but this did...very real. She leaned back, instinctively letting Brett kiss further. Her fingers were sliding lower down the other woman's back, and Page knew her excitement would be apparent from her breath and pulse. She had her fingers tracing around the waist of Brett's jeans when she finally pushed herself back, eyes falling to the floor, "I...wait....I'm not sure." Page was surprised to hear her own words, but she suddenly felt wrong. It wasn't that she didn't like Brett, but that quite the opposite was true.

Brett blinked, utterly confused. Normally by this point she had made whoever she was with forget any objections they might have. She pulled away slightly, but she kept her hands on Page's back. "Okay?"

"I...I...Don't know." Page tried to organize her thoughts, but her logic and desires were running into each other, "It's just...not like this." She wanted to explain better, but was finding it impossible with Brett looking at her like that, standing so close.

Brett scratched the back of her head. "Alright. We can go back to my flat..." Brett had a rule about taking people home, but apparently Page was an exception to that. "And, um, talk, or something." She was still hoping for the 'or something'.

Page wanted to go with her, God...that was about all she wanted, but for some reason she found herself stepping back. "I...I should go." She was surprised to feel her throat tighten as she looked at Brett, "Goodnight...I'm sorry." Page turned for the door, trying to keep her steps steady, not quite knowing what she was doing.

Brett wasn't used to women running away from her and she was stunned into inaction for a long minute. She had to jog to catch up with Page, as she had already reached the doors at the other end of the gallery. "Hey, wait." She grabbed Page's wrist.

Page closed her eyes and stopped when Brett pulled her back. Her already shaking resolve was quickly withering, and she looked over her shoulder at the brunette, "I...I'm sorry..." She didn't know what else to say, it just didn't feel right. Maybe if she could wake up with Brett and know there could be a second date maybe, but she couldn't think of feeling that happy only to get on a plane the next day.

"No. It's cool. I just... " Brett shrugged. She wasn't sure what she wanted. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, I guess." Page seemed a little freaked out and Brett didn't want to leave her feeling that way.

Page took the brunette's hands in hers and turned back for a moment, "No, I'm fine. I just don't want to start something I can't finish." She blushed for a moment, "And I don't just mean the night." Seattle was halfway around the world, and she was getting too old for the thought of hopping a transatlantic flight for a night out.

"Right, yeah. Of course." Brett nodded, doing her best to conceal her disappointment. She didn't know what was going on here, or why Page mentioning more than the night left her both slightly elated and slightly depressed. "Do you want to have dinner tomorrow?" It was a completely impulsive question and possibly inappropriate in that moment, but that was simply how Brett operated.

Page smiled, feeling the moment soften. She was surprised to find that Brett didn't seem upset with her for trying to run. She considered her schedule, definitely wanting to take the brunette up on the offer, but realized the reality, "I have an evening flight." She didn't like how the other woman's face started to fall, "Lunch maybe?" It might be safer anyway, Page could feel those telltale signs of attachment starting, but it just wasn't possible. Bailey didn't need her mother falling in love in Europe, and Page didn't need the chance for disappointment.

"Lunch sounds good." Brett smiled and stuck her hands in her back pockets. "I'll, uh, give you a call?" It was a not so subtle attempt to get Page to give her her mobile number.

"Sure, that sounds good." Page smiled quietly and leaned in to kiss Brett's cheek. "My room number is 217. I probably will be doing some work at the hotel tomorrow morning." She stepped back, but less frantically this time and turned for the door.

Brett watched Page go, following her as she turned down the street. Even after Page disappeared, she stood there for a moment before she started turning the lights back off and getting ready to go home.

The night was pleasant, but Page didn't notice. She was still thinking things over, trying to convince herself that lunch would be just that, and she had made the right decision. Still, she questioned the logic of even trying to sleep that night.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Basics](https://archiveofourown.org/works/75689) by [futureimperfect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect), [Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo)




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